Failure Number 12 Not Installing Sound Rated Floors Where
Required And Not Following Manufacturers Installation Requirements
The building codes have appendices
that are adopted by building department jurisdictions.
The sound rated floor assemblies
are required to achieve a 50 IIC and STC rating. All residences above other
residences in the same building structure are required to have sound rated
floors. This includes an exterior deck
of one residence over inhabitable space of another residence. Condominium
CC&R’s include requirement to use approved sound rated floor assemblies for
all remodeling and new floor covering installation for the project included in
each homeowner’s residence.
The major failures are where no
sound rated floor is installed and the owner claims excess noise transfer is
occurring.
The second most common failure is
not following the manufacturers installation instructions explicitly. Perimeter
isolation is mandatory. Installation of waterproof membrane where required,
expansion joints and reinforced mortar bed with stone and tile
installations.
We have one residence on Wilshire
Boulevard in Los Angeles
in litigation because sound rated floor installation requirements were not
followed explicitly. Estimated cost is
now at $165,000 plus homeowner move out costs for 1-2 months during
reconstruction.
